Energy secretary repeats warning that California faces summer blackouts

Posted at 11:37 a.m. PST Monday, March 19, 2001

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham on Monday, for the second time in less than a week, again warned that California faces a power supply gap this summer which could lead to electricity blackouts.

Abraham, who addressed a U.S. Chamber of Commerce conference, said experts predict demand for power in California would be around 61,000 megawatts and production would be about 56,000 megawatts.

``Right now our forecast is that blackouts are inevitable,'' Abraham said in remarks to reporters after his speech.

California is not the only state facing a ``mismatch'' between supply and demand, stressing that electricity shortages were predicted for New York City and Long Island this summer. Low capacity could also threaten some areas of the Midwest, Southeast and Northern Plains states, he said.

``Americans across the nation are feeling the energy squeeze,'' Abraham said. He called the energy crisis the worst since the Arab oil embargo and long gasoline lines of the mid-1970s.

-- Swissrose (cellier3@mindspring.com), March 19, 2001